1.
[syn: auxiliary storage, external storage, secondary storage]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
secondary storage
n 1: a data storage device that is not the main memory of a
computer [syn: auxiliary storage, external storage,
secondary storage]
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):
secondary storage
Any non-volatile storage medium that is not
directly accessible to the processor. Memory directly
accessible to the processor includes main memory, cache
and the CPU registers. Secondary storage includes hard
drives, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD drives, floppy
disks, punch cards and paper tape.
Secondary storage devices are usually accessed via some kind
of controller. This contains registers that can be directly
accessed by the CPU like main memory ("memory mapped").
Reading and writing these registers can cause the device to
perform actions like reading a block of data off a disk or
rewinding a tape. See also DMA.
Programs and data stored in secondary storage must first be
loaded into main memory before the processor can use them.
(1997-11-05)